Signs of hope in negotiations

House Speaker John Boehner has offered to push any fight over the federal debt limit off for a year, a concession that would deprive Republicans of leverage in the budget battle but is breathing new life into stalled talks over the year-end "fiscal cliff." The offer came Friday, according to people in both parties familiar with the talks, as part of the latest effort by Boehner to strike a deal with President Obama to replace more than $500 billion in painful deficit-reduction measures set to take effect in January. Boehner's offer signals that he expects a deal with sufficient savings to meet his demand that any debt limit increase be paired dollar-for-dollar with spending cuts. That could head off until next year a debt-limit fight.

Key health care industry groups are telling the incoming Republican administration and Congress that it's not a good idea to repeal the 2010 health care law without clear plans to address the consequences.

Supporters of the 2010 health care law will launch a political coalition Friday to block its repeal. They're targeting Republican lawmakers whose constituents may now be at risk of losing health insurance.

U.S. stocks are rising Friday as major indexes continue to set records. Some of the largest gains are going to industries that have been left out of the post-election rally, including health care companies and makers of household goods. Banks, which have led that surge, are slipping.